Milestones

South Loop rites of passage

10/04/2011 1:20 PM

By Bonnie McGrath

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Serving freshly churned butter--churned the old-fashioned way with a real churn--at one of the Clarke House 175th birthday celebrations last week (photo by Bonnie McGrath)

Several things have been happening in the neighborhood recently that need to be recorded, noticed and paid attention to.


Here's a list:

--The Clarke House, the oldest house in Chicago--at 18th and Indiana--had a number of special events last week commemorating its 175th anniversary. A symposium on Wednesday had both local and out-of-town experts explaining what life was like here in the middle of the 19th century. On Thursday night, there was a gala that had the house packed with supporters of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Illinois, the group that has furnished--and continues to furnish the house--with true artifacts from the past. It was a grand celebration, complete with great food and various dignitaries. I dropped a shrimp tail on the floor and am still feeling guilty about it. Last but not least, on Saturday a number of stations were set up in the park surrounding the house that showed kids and their parents how domestic life was carried on inside the house back in the day--from the kind of toys they played with, to how they did the wash and made the butter.

--Who knew that Blackie's at Polk and Clark has been hosting a major monthly Chicago area Tea Party meeting in the back room? It's true. I didn't go but suburban friends of mine from grammar school have been going, and they have been asking me to meet them after the meeting outside at Blackie's' on the beautiful and comfortable patio area to eat, drink and chat.

--Erstwhile lawyer for the Illinois Lottery Jessica Arong O'Brien, do-gooder, mom to three--and a South Looper/Dearborn Parker, to boot, has just been appointed to a new, at-large Board of Governors seat of the Illinois State Bar Association. The board directs the operations and activities of the bar association. Congratulations to Jessica for putting one more thing on her VERY busy plate!

--The Dearborn Park Yard Sale, a production of the late South Looper Mary Schoonmaker, was resurrected to good reviews--albeit delayed a week by rain--last weekend in Mary's honor by South Loop Neighbors. Neighborhood residents are grateful that the event will carry on.

--Amli 900, a VERY GREEN rental building at 900 S. Clark has garnered the distinction of being the first 100 percent smoke-free highrise in Chicago.

--Donna's Cafe at 13th and State, has been having BYOB and LIVE jazz on Fridays--and everyone loves it!

--Cafe Society at 18th and Indiana, recently celebrated its 10th anniversary--and everyone loves it!

--Dearborn Station has a newish tenant--Bikram Yoga College of India and everyone seems to be trying it out in the way-past-100-degree hothouse of a studio. Some love it. Some feel overheated. But everyone's talking about the hot yoga experience right here in the neighborhood.

That's all for now with this tidbit roundup.


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By Anita Miller from South Loop (close by Congress & Michigan
Posted: 10/07/2011 8:10 AM

I am very impressed by the bold move at the Amli building, the first smoke free high rise in Chicago. You deserve a toast (non-alchololic). To your good health I salute you!